 Furphy with theIndiana Pacers in 2025 | |
| No. 12 – Indiana Pacers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (2004-12-08)8 December 2004 (age 20) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Maribyrnong College (Melbourne, Victoria) |
| College | Kansas (2023–2024) |
| NBA draft | 2024: 2nd round, 35th overall pick |
| Drafted by | San Antonio Spurs |
| Playing career | 2021–present |
| Career history | |
| 2021 | Hawthorn Magic |
| 2022–2023 | BA Centre of Excellence |
| 2024–present | Indiana Pacers |
| 2025 | →Indiana Mad Ants |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com  | |
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |
John William "Johnny"Furphy (born 8 December 2004) is an Australian professionalbasketball player for theIndiana Pacers of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He playedcollege basketball for theKansas Jayhawks. Furphy was selected by theSan Antonio Spurs with the 35th overall pick in the second round of the2024 NBA draft before being traded to the Pacers.
Furphy was born on 8 December 2004 inMelbourne, Victoria, and grew up in thesuburb ofClifton Hill.[1][2] From an early age, he aspired to earn acollege scholarship in theUnited States, a goal he expressed while in fifth grade.[3] He attendedMaribyrnong College, where he was a member of theMaribyrnong Sports Academy, an elite sports program at the school.[3] Furphy enrolled as a basketball athlete and Year 7 student in 2017 and graduated in 2022.[4] During high school, he was a multi-sport athlete, competing inbasketball,cricket, andfootball.[1] He stated that football served as his secondary option if his basketball career did not materialize.[5]
During his teenage years, Furphy competed in various semi-professionalbasketball leagues across Australia.[6] He played in theBig V for two seasons from 2021 to 2022. During the 2021 season, he played for the Hawthorn Magic in the Championship division, appearing in just two games before the season was cancelled midway due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. That season, he averaged 2.0 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.[7] The following year, he started the 2022 season playing for theMelbourne University Black Angels in the Division One, appearing in nine games and averaging 12.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.[8] Midway through that season, Furphy relocated toCanberra to join theBasketball Australia Centre of Excellence (CoE), competing in theNBL1 for two seasons from 2022 to 2023.[9] Furphy appeared in three games for the CoE in July of the2022 season and remained with the team for the2023 season, during which he averaged 14.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game over 12 games.[10][11]
On 3 August 2023, Furphycommitted to playcollege basketball for theKansas Jayhawks in theUnited States over offers fromConnecticut,Duke,Gonzaga, andNorth Carolina.[11][12] Shortly after his commitment, he participated in a training session that includedscrimmages and basketball drills with theSouth East Melbourne Phoenix of theNational Basketball League (NBL) before relocating toKansas.[13][14]
On 6 November 2023, Furphy made his collegiate debut as atrue freshman in the season opener againstNorth Carolina Central, recording six points and five rebounds in a 99–56 victory.[15] He made his first career start on 20 November againstChaminade, contributing four points and two rebounds in an 83–56 win.[16] Furphy delivered his best collegiate performance on 22 January 2024, posting season highs of 23 points and 11 rebounds in a 74–69 victory overCincinnati.[17] He played his final college game on 23 March during theRound of 32 in the2024 NCAA tournament, scoring nine points and grabbing seven rebounds in an 89–68 loss toGonzaga.[18] The team finished theseason with a 23–11 record. Furphy played a significant role as a reservewing,[19] appearing in 33 games and starting 19 of them. He averaged 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field.[20] His performance earned him a selection to the All-Big 12 freshman team.[21]
After the conclusion of the2023–24 season, Furphy declared for the2024 NBA draft on 16 April 2024, forgoing his remainingcollege eligibility.[17][21] He later received an invitation to the draftgreen room.[22] Having grown up as anNBA fan, particularly admiringLeBron James and supporting thePhiladelphia 76ers,[13] he expressed excitement about the opportunity to fulfill his long-standing dream of competing on the same court as his basketball idols.[2]
On 27 June 2024, Furphy was selected by theSan Antonio Spurs with the 35th overall pick in the second round of the2024 NBA draft. Later that same night, he was traded to theIndiana Pacers in exchange for the 36th overall pick,Juan Núñez, and cash considerations.[23] He signed a four-year contract worth $8.59 million with the Pacers on 6 July.[24][25]
Furphy made hisNational Basketball Association (NBA) debut on 25 October 2024, at the age of 19 in a game against theNew York Knicks. He entered the game late in the fourth quarter with 4:59 remaining, while the Pacers were trailing 113–83. Furphy did not score in the game, missing all three of his field goal attempts and one three-point attempt. The Pacers ultimately lost the game 123–98.[26][27] On 11 April 2025, Furphy recorded a career-high 17 points, six rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes played during a 129–115 loss to theOrlando Magic.[28]
During his rookieseason, Furphy was frequentlyassigned to theIndiana Mad Ants,[29] the Pacers'NBA G League affiliate, moving between the Mad Ants and the Pacers' bench.[6] He primarily served as a substitute to provide rest for starters and to gain playing time in the closing minutes of games with decided outcomes.[6]
Furphy began the2025–26 season with limited playing time due to injuries affecting his left foot and ankle that started during thepreseason.[30][31] On 3 November 2025, during a game against theMilwaukee Bucks, he sustained asprain to his left ankle after falling while driving to the basket in the fourth quarter. Following the game, which ended in a 117–115 loss, he was seen leaving the locker room usingcrutches.[30][32]
Furphy is 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m) tall and weighs 200 pounds (91 kg).[1] He has indicated that he models his playing style on that ofMikal Bridges.[13]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Indiana | 50 | 0 | 7.6 | .380 | .300 | .818 | 1.4 | .4 | .4 | .2 | 2.1 |
| Career | 50 | 0 | 7.6 | .380 | .300 | .818 | 1.4 | .4 | .4 | .2 | 2.1 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Indiana | 11 | 0 | 3.2 | .250 | .000 | .000 | .5 | .1 | .0 | .1 | .2 |
| Career | 11 | 0 | 3.2 | .250 | .000 | .000 | .5 | .1 | .0 | .1 | .2 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Kansas | 33 | 19 | 24.1 | .466 | .352 | .765 | 4.9 | 1.0 | .9 | .3 | 9.0 |
Furphy comes from a family with a strong sporting background. He is the youngest of three siblings. His father, Richard Furphy, played amateurfootball for theUniversity Blues in theVictorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), where he also served as team captain. Furphy's mother, Liza Alpers, was an elitediver who competed at the national level. His eldest sibling and brother, Joe Furphy, played semi-professionalfootball for theGeelong Cats in theVictorian Football League (VFL) during the2024 season as part of theirreserve team.[33][34] Furphy's older sister,Holly Furphy, is a professionalsoccer player forMelbourne Victory in theA-League Women.[1][3][5]
